FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0953.PDF
FLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 23, 1932 A World's Record? A "Vesta"—"Pegasus" Achievement W I HAT will, it is hoped, prove a world's record for altitude was established on Friday last, Sep tember 16, when Mr. Cyril F. Uwins, chief test pilot of the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd., took a Vickers " Vespa," fitted with one of the new Bristol " Pegasus " engines, up to an altitude believed to be in the neighbourhood of 44,000 ft. (13,400 m.). At the time of going to press with this week's issue of FLIGHT, the sealed barographs had not yet been checked by the National Physical Laboratory, and so no world's record can definitely be claimed at the moment, but there is very good reason for believing that the existing world's altitude record has been beaten. This stands at 13,157 m. (43,100 ft.), and was established on June 4, 1930, by the American pilot Lt. Soucek on a Wright " Apache," with Pratt & Whitney engine. Mr. Uwins took oft from Filton aerodrome, Bristol, about 1 p.m. on September 16, and alighted at Evesham shortly after 3 p.m., having run out of petrol. The flight was officially observed on behalf of the Royal Aero Club of the United King-1 dom by Capt. Winters, of the Bristol Airport, Whitchurch, who took charge of the two sealed barographs when Uwins alighted. The barographs were then sent to the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, where they were, as is customary, kept for 24 hours before the case was opened. As this 24 hours' period broke into the week end, the result of the official examina tion and checking of the barographs was not known to US in time to be included this week. The weather was rather misty when Uwins took off, and was doubtless partly responsible for him landing away from Filton when he ran out of petrol, as he must have been entirely out of sight of the ground for the better part of two hours and could thus easily lose his way. He can be congratulated on not having been carried out over the Bristol Channel during his flight, as he might well have been. The machine used by Uwins in his altitude flight was a Vickers "Vespa." This machine was originally designed for operating from aerodromes situated up to 13,000 ft. above sea level, and to this end is provided with wings of ..,.:, Mr. C. F. Uwins, Bristol's chief test pilot, who flew the machine. THE BRISTOL " PEGASUS " : For a new type of engine to have put up such a fine performance so soon after being put into production is a splen did achievement, and speaks well for the future of the new " Bristol " engine series. unusually large area, a feature of the design which resulted in a very low wing loading. This was, of course, a great advantage in the altitude flight. For his altitude flight Mr. Uwins had taken every possible precaution in the way of protecting himself against the intense cold and the rarefied air to be met with at such great heights. He wore electrically-heated clothes, and the oil tank was so arranged as to help to heat the cockpit. An oxygen apparatus enabled him to breathe in reasonable comfort, and by keeping well down in the cockpit he was exposed to a mini mum of cold draught. The altitude flight was made on special B.P. Plus spirit and " Aero Shell " lubricating oil. The K.L.G. plugs were fired by B.T.H. magnetos, and Short & Mason special instruments were carried. THE VICKERS " VESPA record attempt. ' : This photograph shows the machine flown by Uwins in the altitude The Bristol " Pegasus " (supercharged) engine was fitted. 889
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
